Student Spotlight: Mike Presendieu '16

Why Union: I came for an overnight visit and by the end of the night, I was already friends with a couple of upperclassmen; it made me feel welcome.

Most inspiring class: Hebrew. I am minoring in Jewish Studies because I had such a good experience in that class. I knew nothing of Jewish culture, and Professor Malka Almog was so kind to explain to me every detail about Israel or the Jewish religion that I did not understand. Not only did I learn to speak Hebrew, I learned a lot about Israeli culture. The more I learned, the more fascinating I found it.

Also excited about:Going to Senegal on a mini-term. I will immerse myself in a new culture and eat a lot of Senegalese food!

Most surprising thing about Union:The professors are very easy to access.

How I'm making Union a better place:I became the co-chair of Beuth so I have a voice on campus. The Minerva system is great. However, I am working on my own ideas for how to make it an even better academic and a social place for students.

Looking into the future:I hope to change the lives of many people in Haiti someday. I would like to be president and create policies that will better the country.

Advice for incoming students: Do not walk away from new experiences because you are scared of what people might think. Accept the changes that college inevitably brings. Make time to celebrate yourself, and have a lot of little fun times, OK?